10 Great Brush Clearing Tools That Make the Job Easier

There are many brush clearing tools that make quick work of clearing away overgrown brush from your yard, trails farm, and anywhere else you need it cleared from.

Some tools will be better suited for tougher, denser brush, but all of them are easier than trying to do it by hand.

Below are 10 tools that are good to have on hand when clearing your property. You’ll appreciate how much faster they make the job for you.

Pole Saw

If you are clearing brush away that is overhead, one of the best tools you can have is a pole saw.

Pole saws have extra long handles with the action part of the tool at the very end. The part that moves the cutting/sawing part is down on the handle where your hands are. Pole saws make overhead work much safer and easier, as they have a telescopic pole that enables you to reach them easily.

They can take a few minutes to get comfortable with since your hands and the part of the tool actually cutting away the brush are far apart, but once you master using it, you’ll never want to be without one.

Pole saws are excellent for clearing tree limbs that are out of reach, tall bushes that are over your head and any other type of brush that longer “arms” would be better to clear with.

Weed Whip

For taking care of brush that is close to the ground, a weed whip is a great choice.

Weed whips are made of two cutting edges that are attached perpendicularly to a wooden handle about 30” long or so. Handle length can vary a little on these, so choose one that feels comfortable for your height.

They are fairly lightweight and are easy to use, requiring just a good solid swinging motion to get rid of the brush you want to clear.

When you’re tackling brush that includes thicker saplings and weeds, pruning shears can make the job much faster.

Easy to use, lightweight and efficient, pruning shears will cut through brush as much as 1” in diameter. They have long wooden handles about 20-24 inches long and a beak like end that the branch fits into.

Close the handles just like you would hedge trimmers and voila…the branch is gone.

Hatchet

A small hatchet is easy to carry and great for small cutting jobs where a big axe or chain saw isn’t needed. Hatchets are easy to handle and when kept sharpened are great for cutting through small trees up to 2” in diameter.

They are much easier to wield than an axe, but due to their size, it isn’t advisable to try cutting down larger trees with it because it would expend way too much energy for the amount of results you’d be getting.

Axe

At some point in your brush clearing endeavor, you may need a good old fashioned axe. Make sure that it is sharpened or it will make your work that much harder.

Axes are good for chopping small trees that may be entangled with other brush.

There are many styles of axes that you can choose from, and for extra tough brush clearing, you may consider finding an axe with a head attached securely with a bolt through it rather than just one that is glued on.

When using axes a lot, if the quality isn’t good, the head can fly off.

Machete

A good machete is a great brush clearing tool to have in your arsenal.

They make quick work of brush and small saplings less than an inch in diameter. Keeping them sharp is key to making your work easier. Perfect that swing and you’ll be clearing thick brush in good time and with relative ease.

Machetes are easy to carry and don’t take up a lot of room, making them a favored choice among brush clearers that have to walk any distance while they are clearing.

Machete work uses a lot of shoulder/arm muscles, as does the axe, which is great exercise but expect some soreness afterwards!

Chain Saw

Chain saws are probably one of the best brush clearing tools to have.

They can get rid of almost any type and size of brush with minimal effort. Lighter weight chain saws are easier to handle, and there are many styles now that don’t give up efficiency and performance in being lighter weight.

They are loud, but there are ear phones that can be worn while using them that can reduce and even prevent the ringing in your ears that hearing a chain saw for hours can cause.

Always remember that if you’re cutting down tall trees, to learn the safest way to do this to prevent serious injury to yourself or others helping.

Brush Mower

For large areas of brush clearing, a brush mower can’t be beat.

These heavy duty power tools can cut through brush and trees up to 3” thick and are fun to use to boot! They typically come as self propelled models that you walk behind and those you can tow behind a vehicle.

Brush hog is another common term for these time savers. They make large clearing projects much easier to do and do all the heavy, hard work for you.

Conclusion

With all of the above brush clearing tools, you will want to have good gloves to protect your hands, goggles, and ear protection when using the power tools.

Brush clearing can be tiring business, and having the right tools can make it a lot easier on you during AND after you’re done.

If you’re not sure what kind of tools you’ll need, size up the job or jobs beforehand and look at the descriptions we’ve noted here for some ideas on what types of brush the tools are better for clearing.